Magazine latch for firearms



Dm. l5, M94.

w. c. Rom/1ER 2,305,033

AMAGAZINE LATCH FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 28, '19359 #736 M35 @fi W. c. RoEMER 2,305,033

MAGAZINE LATCH FOR FIREARMS Filed Nov. 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iatented Dec. l5, 1942 MAGAZIN E LATCH FOR FIREARMS Application November 28, 1939, Serial No. 306,473

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in magazine-latches for rearms, and more particularly to magazine-latches for retaining magazines, such, for instance, as box-magazines, in place in a firearm-structure and in which the magazine is readily separated from or inserted into position in the firearm-structure.

One of the objects of the present invention is firearm-structure, the said latch automatically i assuming its magazine-retaining position when the said magazine has been fully inserted in the firearm-structure.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a magazine-latch so constructed and arranged as to permit the ready removal of the said latch from the firearm-structure Without the aid of special tools or the like, to thereby permit the firearm-structure to be disassembled from the stock.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior box-magazine having one or more points of support and in which provision is made for automatically retiring the magazine-latch when the magazine is inserted in place in the firearm-structure.

With the above and other objects in View, as Will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings` in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a broken View of the receiver or central portion of a firearm-structure, mainly in side elevation and partly in vertical-longitudinal section, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary verticallongitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a broken transverse sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line '1 -4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar View, but showing the position the magazine-latch assumes when the said latch is in its retired or magazine-releasing position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of a box-magazine looking mainly at the rear Wall thereoi Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the magazinelatch; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the magazine-latch keeper or retaining-key.

The rearm herein chosen for illustration of the present invention may be oi any desired type and requires no detailed description herein other than to state that the said firearm includes a receiver I5, a trigger-plate I6 and a stock I'I. The receiver I5 and trigger-plate I6 are secured to the stock I'I in any suitable manner. The trigger-plate I6 is secured to the receiver I5 in any convenient manner, and is provided with the usual loop-like trigger-guard I8 enclosing a trigger I9 for the control of the firing-mechanism (not shown). The said trigger-plate I6 is formed With an integral upstanding lug or post 2D which is located to the rear of a magazine-receiving chamber 2I forming a feature of the rearm-structure, and which includes a front Wall 22 and a rear wall 23, which latter is formed mainly by the front -face of the said lug or post 20.

The magazine-receiving chamber 2I is adapted to receive, with a free sliding iit, a box-magazine 24 which extends upwardly into the interior of the receiver I5 and has its upper end positioned to have cartridges contained therein engaged by a reciprocating breech-bolt 25 for being fed into the firing-chamber of the rearrn in a manner customary in rearms. The magazine 24 may be of any conventional design, and includes a front Wall 26 and a rear Wall 2l. The magazine 24 is securely and rmly held in place in the magazine-receiving chamber 2l in a manner to be hereinafter described, With its front Wall 26 adjacent the front wall 22 of the magazine-receiving chamber ZI and its rear Wall 21 adjacent the rear wall 23 of the said chamber when the magazine 24 is in place in the magazine-receiving chamber 2| of the firearm, as shown in Fig. 1.

The forward face of the trigger-plate I5 is provided immediately beneath the stock II with a dovetail groove 28 which extends transversely across the said trigger-plate from one side thereof to the other, and has mounted therein, with capacity for reciprocating movement transversely of the firearm, a magazine-latch 29 of corresponding form in cross section. The left end of the magazine-latch 29, as viewed in Fig. 3, has a rigid nger-piece 30 which is provided with a knurled outer face. In its forward face, the magazine-latch 29 is provided with two vertically-extending clearance-grooves 3I-3I, as is particularly well shown in Figs. 3 and 7. The

forward face of the magazine-latch 29 is also provided with inclined cams 32-32, respectively intersecting the adjacent one of the clearancegrooves 3|-3I about midway the height thereof. Each of the cams 32 opens downwardly through the underside of the magazine-latch 29.

In its rear face the magazine-latch 29 adjacent the end opposite to the finger-piece 39 is provided with a vertically-extending retainingnotch 33, the outer wall 34 of which is normally engaged by the outer face of the forward portion of a latch-keeper or retaining-key 35. The foiward portion of the retaining-key 35 constitutes what may be called a latching-abutment 35 which normally is located in the notch 33 and in engagement with the outer wall 34 thereof. The retaining-key 35 is of dovetail form in cross section and is mounted with capacity for longitudinal sliding movement in a similarly-shaped groove 37 formed in the left-hand face of the z trigger-plate I6 adjacent the forward face 23 of the latter and intersecting the dovetail groove 28 into which the said groove 31 opens, as is particularly well shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As will be apparent by reference to the drawings, the retaining-key 35 due to its dovetail form in cross section, is prevented from outward displacement with respect to the trigger-plate I8, and serves by the engagement of its latching-abutment 35 with the outer wall 34 of the notch 33 in the magazine-latch 29, to releasably limit the axial movement of the said magazine-latch in one direction. The retaining-key 35 is releasably held with its latching-abutment 36 in its latch-retaining position in a manner as will hereinafter appear.

Immediately to the rear of the dovetail groove 28, the trigger-plate I6 is formed with a transverse spring-pocket 38 extending in substantial parallelism with the dovetail groove 28 and opening outwardly through the bottom wall of the groove 37 formed in the left-hand face of the trigger-plate I6. Opening through the righthand face of the trigger-plate I6 and into the spring-pocket 38 concentric therewith, is a bearing-passage 39 of reduced diameter whichI results in the formation of an annular stopshoulder 49 at the junction of the said bearingpassage with the spring-pocket- 38, as is particularly well shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Mounted mainly in the bearing-passage 39 is a spring-plunger 4I projecting outwardly through the said bearing-passage and bearing against the adjacent inner face of the fingerpiece 38 of the magazine-latch 29. The springi plunger 4I is formed with an annular stop-flange 42 bearing in the spring-pocket 38 and serving to limit the outward movement of the springplunger 4| by its engagement with the stopshoulder 48. The spring-plunger 4i is provided at its inner end with a spring-guiding stem 43 which is encircled by the adjacent end of a helical spring 44 housed in the spring-pocket 38, and thrusting against the adjacent face of the stop-flange 42 before referred to. The spring 44 has its end opposite to the spring-plunger 4l thrusting against the inner face of a detentplunger 45, which is also formed with an inwardly-extending spring-guiding stem 45 encircled by the adjacent end of the spring 44.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the detent-plunger 45 is housed in the left-hand portion of the spring-pocket 38 and is formed with a spherically-contoured outer end 41 normally seated in a conical detent-socket 48 formed in the inner face of the retaining-key 35 before referred to. By reference to the figures just above referred to, it will be noted that the spring 44 is interposed between the spring-plunger 4l and the detentplunger 45 to constantly urge the same away from each other. The spring 44 thus serves to normally maintain the stop-flange 42 seated against the stop-shoulder 48, and also serves to maintain the spherical outer end 47 of the detent-plunger 45 seated in the detent-socket 48 of the retaining-key 35. It will thus be seen that the spring-plunger 4I under the urge of the spring 44 serves to keep the latch 29 in its magazine-retaining position, as shown in Fig 4, due to the said plunger being in engagement with and thrusting against the inner face of the finger-piece 38 forming part of the magazinelatch 29. At the same time, through the intermediary of the detent-plunger 45, the spring 44 serves to yieldingly hold the retaining-key 35 in its latch-retaining position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Returning to the box-magazine 24, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 6 in particular, that the rear wall 2l' thereof is provided intermediate its upper and lower edges with two outwardlyor rearwardly-extending coupling-lugs 49-49. The lugs 49 are formed integral with and displaced rearwardly from the rear wall 2 of the magazine 24, and are respectively located adjacent the respective opposite sides oi the said magazine. Each of the lugs 49 has its lower edge 59 slightly inclined upwardly and rearwardly (Fig. 2) to correspond to the slope of the upper face 5| of the magazine-latch 29. The respective upper faces of the lugs 43--49 are laterally inclined to form latch-retiring cams 52-52 correspending in slope to the slope of the cams 32-32 formed on the magazine-latch 29, as before described. The retiring-cams 52-52 are adapted upon occasion, as will hereinafter appear, to respectively coact with the respective cams 32-32 for the purpose of bodily moving the magazinelatch 29 axially into its retired or magazinereleasing position against the tension of the spring 44, all as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Leading downwardly from the dovetail groove 28 in the forward face 23 of the trigger-plate I5 adjacent the respective opposite sides thereof, are vertically-extending guide-grooves 53-53 which respectively receive the lugs 49 of the magazine 24, as will later appear. Leading upwardly from the said dovetail groove 28 vertically in line with the guide-grooves 53--53, are two verticallyextending positioning-grooves 54-54 in which the lugs 139-49 are respectively positioned when the magazine is in place in the magazine-receiving chamber 2i. As shown in Fig. 3, one of each of the cams 32 of the latch 29 are in alignment with one of the guide-grooves 53 when the latch is in its magazine-retaining position. With the latch 29 in the position shown in the figure referred to, it will be seen that the portions of the upper face 5i of the magazine-latch 29 immediately adjacent the right side cf the respective clearance-grooves 35-31 of the said latch are positioned beneath the lower end of the positioning-grooves 54, and constitute what may be called magazine-retaining abutments 5 l a.

For the purpose of describing the operation of the structure herein described and shown in the drawings, let it be assumed that it is desired to insert a magazine, such as the magazine 24, into the magazine-chamber 2i, and that the parts constituting the latch-mechanism are in the positions in which they are shown particularly well in Figs. 3 and 4. If now the magazine 24 is placed with its upper end in the lower end of the magazine-chamber 2| and its lugs 49-49 respectively placed in the respective guide-grooves 53-53 and the said magazine is moved upwardly, the cams 52-52 respectively formed on each of the lugs 49-49 will engage with the respective cam-surfaces 32-32 of the magazine-latch 29 as shown by broken lines in Fig. 3.

With the cams 52--52 of the lugs 49-49 engaged with the cams 32-32 of the magazinelatch 29 as just described, continued upward movement of the magazine 24 will cause the coacting cams 32-32 and 52-52 to move the magazine-latch 29 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 5. During the action just described and due to the lugs 49-49 of the magazine 24 being conned against lateral movement by the guidegrooves 53-53, the cams 52-52 thereof will, in engaging the cams 32-32 of the latch 29, force the said latch from left to right as viewed in Fig. 3 against the tension of the spring 44. This bodily axial movement of the magazine-latch 29 will bring the respective clearance-grooves 3 I-3| thereof into registration with the respective guide-grooves 53-53 and the positioning-grooves 541-54, to thereby permit the lugs 49 of the magazine 24 to pass upwardly into the positioninggrooves 54 in which position they are shown by full lines in Fig. 3. As soon as the respective lower edges 50-59 of the lugs 4.9-49 clear the upper face of the magazine-latch 29, the said magazine-latch will be shifted from left to right bythe spring 44, into its magazine-latching position (Fig. 3).

With the lugs 49-49 of the magazine 24 positioned as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the said lugs are respectively located in the positioning-grooves 54 and that their lower edges 5ll-5 are respectively seated against the respective magazine-retaining abutments Ela- Bla of the magazine-latch 29.

With the lugs 49 in seated engagement with the magazine-retaining abutments 5Iaf-5Ia of the magazine-latch 29 and the upper portion of the magazine 24 located in the magazine-receiving chamber 2i, the said magazine is securely and rmly held in place therein. It will be apparent that by providing two lugs such as the lugs 49-49 on the magazine 24 adjacent the respective opposite sides thereof, that the said magazine is so securely supported in the magazine-receiving chamber 2i as to eliminate any lateral cooking or tilting of the said magazine as the magazine is adequately supported on each side of its vertical-longitudinal axis.

To remove the magazine 24 it will be obvious that upon manual pressure being applied to the finger-piece 30 to move the latch 29 from left to right as viewed in Fig. 3, the clearance-grooves 3 l-3I in the forward face thereof will be brought into registration with the guide-grooves 53-53 and positioning-grooves 54-54 in the forward face 23 of the trigger-plate i6 and the magazineretaining abutments 5Ia--5ia moved out from beneath the lugs 49-49. The action just above described will have moved the latch 29 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 5, against the tension of the spring 44 in which position the lugs 49-49 of the magazine 24 are free to be moved downwardly through the clearance-grooves 3| of the latch. Downward movement of the magazine 24, with the latch 29 in the position shown in Fig. 5, will move the lugs 49-49 downwardly through the clearance-grooves 3I-3I of the magazinelatch 29 and from there downwardly through the guide-grooves 53--53 to effect the complete removal of the said magazine from the magazinechamber 2|.

It will have been noted by reference to Fig. 3 that the nger-piece 3U and the adjacent end of the latch 29 projects outwardly beneath the side wall 55 of the stock l1. Therefore, to enable the receiver and trigger-plate to be removed from the stock Il without weakening the side walls of the said stock, it is desirable to remove the latch 29 bodily from the trigger-plate I6.

To accomplish the above purpose, the retaining-key 35 is provided with a finger-piece 56 upon its outer face by means of which the said retaining-key may be bodily moved rearwardly to remove the latching-abutment 36 thereof from the notch 33 in the rear face of the latch 29. `This rearward movement of the retaining-key 35 out of the notch 33 will permit the bodily axial withdrawal of the latch 29 from the dovetail groove 29. With the complete removal of the latch 29, it will be readily seen that the trigger-plate I6 and receiver l5 may be moved upwardly out of the stock H. It will be understood, of course, that before the receiver and trigger-plate are moved upwardly through the stock I 1, the springplunger 4i will be moved inwardly against the tension of the spring 44 to thereby retire the said plunger from beneath the lower edge of the adjacent side wall 55 of the stock l1.

Returning to the retaining-key 35, the rearward movement of the said retaining-key will have caused the detent 48 in the inner face thereof to depress the detent-plunger 45 inwardly against the tension of the spring 44. Due to the dovetail formation of the groove 31 and the retaining-key 35, it will be apparent that lateral displacement of the said retaining-key under the urge of the spring 44 is effectively prevented and that the said retaining-key serves to effectively retain the spring 44, spring-plunger 4| and detent-plunger 45 in place in the spring-pocket 38. The tension of the spring 44, in turn, prevents the retaining-key 35 from being axially displaced from the groove 31 when the latch 29 is removed from the dovetail groove 28. However, when it is desired to remove the parts 4I, 44 and 45 from the spring-pocket 38, the retaining-key 35 may be completely removed from the groove 31 by moving the said retaining-key forwardly after the magazine-latch 29 has been first removed, as before described.

It will thus be seen that the magazine-latch 29 may be readily removed from the trigger-plate IB to permit the said trigger-plate to be moved upwardly through the stock I1 for removal therefrom. and that the yielding means employed for maintaining the magazine-latch in its magazineretaining position are a corporate part of the trigger-plate i5. It will also be seen that by providing a shiftable member such as the retaining-key 35, the latch 29 may be bodily removed from the trigger-plate l5 in an efficient and ready manner without the aid of a screw driver or any special tool.

The invention may be carried out in other vspeciic ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present em'- bodiments are, therefore, to be considered in al1 respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming Within the meaning land equivalency range of the appended claims are intende to be embraced therein.

I claim:

l. A rearm-structure having a magazine-receiving opening, and including in combination: a magazine vertically insertable into and removable from the magazine-receiving opening of the firearm-structure; downwardly-facing abutmentmeans carried by the said magazine; a magazinelatch mounted in the rearm-structure with capacity for transverse movement with respect thereto into and out of magazine-retaining and magazine-releasing positions and having a iingerpiece located adjacent one side-face of the firearm-structure; upwardly-facing magazine-supporting means carried by the said magazine-latch and engageable by the said downwardly-facing abutment-means; a manually-operable latchkeeper movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of the said magazine-latch and releasably engageable therewith at a point adjacent the side of the firearm-structure opposite the iinger-piece of the said magazine-latch and constructed and arranged when so engaged to limit the movement of the said magazine-latch transversely of the firearm-struc- `capacity for transverse movement with respect thereto into and out of magazine-retaining and magazine-releasing position; upwardly-facing magazine-supporting means carried by the said magazine-latch and engageable by the said downwardly-facing abutment-means; a manually-operable latch-keeper releasably engageable with the said magazine-latch and constructed and arranged When so engaged to limit the movement of the said magazine-latch transversely of the rearm-structure and to release the said magazine-latch for removal when the said manuallyoperable latch-keeper is moved into its retired position; a detent releasably holding the said manually-operable latch-keeper in its latch-restraining position; and a spring thrusting at one end against the said detent and at its opposite end against a portion of the said magazine-latch to normally hold the latter in its magazine-restraining position.

f --3. A firearm-structure having a magazine-receiving opening and including in combination: a magazine vertically insertable into and removable from the magazine-receiving opening of the firearm-structure; downwardly-facing abutmentmeans carried by the said magazine; a magazinelatch mounted in the firearm-structure with capacity for reciprocation transversely thereof into and out of magazine-retaining and magazine-releasing positions,Y the said magazine-latch being provided with a substantially-vertical clearance-notch and having a linger-piece located adjacent one side-face of the firearm-structure;

an upwardly-facing magazine-supporting abutment carried by the said magazine-latch adjacent the said clearance-notch and engageable by the said downwardly-facing abutment means; a manually-operable latch-keeper movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of the said magazine-latch and releasably engaging therewith at a point adjacent the side of the rearm-structure opposlte the nger-piece of the said magazine-latch and constructed and arranged when so engaged to limit the movement of the said magazine-latch transversely of the firearm-structure and to release the said magazine-latch for removal when the said latch-keeper is moved into its retired position; and detent-means releasably holding the said manually-operable latch-keeper in its magazine-latch-restraining position.

4. A firearm-structure having a magazine-receiving opening, and including in combination: a magazine vertically insertable into and removable from the magazine-receiving opening of the firearm-structure; downwardly-facing abutmentmeans carried by the said magazine; a magazinelatch mounted in the firearm-structure with capacity for reciprocation transversely thereof into and out or magazine-retaining and magazine-releasing positions, the said magazine-latch being provided with a substantially-vertical clearance-notch; an upwardly-facing magazine-supporting abutment carried by the said magazinelatch adjacent the said clearance-notch and engageable by the said downwardly-facing abutment-means; a manually-operable latch-keeper releasably engaging with the said reciprocating magazine-latch and constructed and arranged when so engaged to limit the movement of the said magazine-latch transversely of the firearmstructure and to release the said magazine-latch for removal when the said latch-keeper is moved into its retired position; detent-means releasably holding the said manually-operable latch-keeper in its magazine-latch-restraining position; and a spring thrusting at one end against the said detent and at its opposite end against a portion of the said magazine-latch to yieldingly hold the latter in position to retain the said magazine in the firearm-structure.

5. A firearm-structure having a magazine-receiving opening, and including in combination: a magazine vertically insertable into and removable from the magazine-receiving opening of the firearm-structure; downwardly-facing abutmentmeans carried by the said magazine; a magazinelatch mounted in the firearm-structure With capacity for transverse movement with respect thereto into and out of magazine-retaining and magazine-releasing positions; upwardly-fach: magazine-supporting means carried by the said magazine-latch and engageable by the said downwardly-facing abutment-means; a manually-operable latch-keeper releasably engageable with the said magazine-latch to limit the movement thereof transversely of the iirearm-structure; a first detent-plunger engageable with the said latch-keeper; a second plunger engageable with a portion of the said magazine-latch; and a spring pressing at one end against the said rst detent-plunger to hold the same in engagement with the said latch-keeper and pressing at its other end against the said second plunger to cause the same to yieldingly hold the said magazine-latch in its magazine-retaining position.

WILLIAM C. ROEMER. 

